Free Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher

whizzing through the air, before it explodes.
    Millions of paper poppies float from the sky – their sharp edges hitting me on the head on their way to the ground.
    I look to the pool to see the other girls in red have disappeared – yet the one all in black remains. Only the centre of our Poppy was not a girl as I thought I’d seen. It was Brett.
    He looks pleased to see me at first, then, spotting something to the right of me, he shouts out.
    ‘He’s back!’
    I turn to see Bruno has morphed into a giant speedo-wearing lizard. His tongue hissing and gobbling up all the floats as he makes his way to us.
    Suddenly a hand grabs mine and pulls me.
    ‘Quick!’
    Brett drags me through the forest that we’re now in and we run savagely – like wild urchins – trying our best to escape the demented reptile that’s coming for us.
    We hold hands, our clasp strong and unyielding as we focus on what’s ahead of us. Jumping over bushes, ducking under branches and swerving pink flamingos, we never falter – we can’t with Bruno so close behind us.
    My heart is thumping as the adrenaline pumps through my body, making me more agile, supple and fit than ever before.
    When we come to a rock formation that we need to climb, Brett wraps his strong arms around my waist and draws me up to him, our
bodies grazing each other’s momentarily before we have to continue with our flight.
    Although, when we run again, my mind is clouded by the thought of having him so near. I’m not as quick as before – I’m clumsy. I trip over small stones on the ground, I misjudge distances between us and the surrounding forest, I slow us down and allow Bruno to catch up.
    Just as I’m about to dive through an abandoned aeroplane to take refuge, Bruno the lizard grabs me by the ankle and throws me in the air.
    I’m flying up, up, up, up into the sky.
    I keep my eyes closed, too scared to look down below – too scared of falling back into Bruno’s waiting mouth and not into Brett’s arms.
    I wake up to find I’m holding my breath and have my eyes scrunched up in suspense. Wandering into the bathroom, I find a frown line has become indented into my forehead from my night of active dreams – Bruno from
Strictly
in little pants before turning into a lizard and chasing me and my dream lover into the wilderness … I wonder over its significance as I get into the shower and start washing my hair. Today’s the day I ask Jonathan for a promotion and I’ve just been ear-bashed over my ineptness … brilliant timing.
    Absolutely perfect.
    I get into work early, ready to start the first day of the rest of my life as someone who is determined, passionate and driven (I am those things – piss off, Bruno). I’m full of gusto and it feels as though I’m on the brink of something wonderful and life-changing. If I can manage to better myself in the career department, that would be one area of my life in a decent state of affairs – and one is better than none.
    I smile to everyone as they walk into the office a little after me, asking how their weekends were and seeing what they got up to – but mostly I get my head down and get on with some work to show that I’m super dedicated to the company and take my role here seriously. I don’t even go on Twitter, Facebook or the Mail Online – except for a quick peek at that just to make sure nothing major has happened like a huge celebrity fracas or another boyband member dramatically quitting my favourite band, but I’m on there a mere thirty seconds maximum before closing the webpage, satisfied that all is well with the world (apart from the awful sight of that reality star in a teeny tiny bikini in Dubai – set-up shots if ever I saw them).
    Jonathan arrives half an hour later and in a foul mood – grunting at me for a coffee before slamming his office door shut behind him.
    This isn’t part of the great plan I’d envisaged.
    Thanks to getting mentally bashed in my dream by Bruno (I’ll never be